His Fake Girlfriend

Chapter 14- Brotherly Love

His Fake Girlfriend

Chapter 14- Brotherly Love

 

It was a day after my mom had brought Peter over for dinner. A Wednesday. It’s when I decided that Josh and I needed to have that conversation. Sky stayed home with Julia making bracelets and watching movies. I thought Sky would get irritated after a while hanging out with my fifteen year old little sister, but every time I brought it up she was eager to be with Julia. I don’t know what it was, but they got along.

After Josh’s soccer practice I picked him up like I had usually done this week. But instead of bringing him home to shower that stench off of him, I brought him to the ice cream shop that we always went to when I came home. It was actually the first place I brought Josh and Julia when I got my license. Josh was surprised with the stop. I hadn’t told him I was bringing him to eat ice cream, and I guess I didn’t seem like I was in a generous mood; so he said.

I got a chocolate shake and he got orange sherbet. Something he’s been obsessed with since he was ten years old. We sat on one of the picnic benches across from each other. I didn’t know how I was going to bring the conversation up. I didn’t want to be blunt. But I also didn’t want to seem heartless. I never prepared myself for this conversation. I never thought I’d have to have this conversation with any of my siblings.

Why me exactly? Why do I have to have this conversation with Josh and not my mom? Not because she’s a horrible mother that’s never around. The complete opposite actually. I have to have this conversation with him because I’m the guy. I’m the older brother. I promised my dad before he died that I’d be there for them. I’d be the man of the house. I’d take over his place as best as I could. And that’s what I’m doing. Well, it’s the best that I can do. Like Josh said before, I’ll never be dad. I’ll never be able to really replace dad. I could only try to fill in the gaps.

“So how’s school?” I ask casually sipping at my milkshake.

He shrugged his shoulders, “It’s alright.” He replies more occupied with his ice cream. Maybe I should have brought him somewhere else where he’d pay more attention.

“How’s your grades?” I asked feeling my phone vibrate in my shorts pocket. I chose to ignore it.

“Well you seem to know already. Since I’ve been getting grades worse than your high school years.” He responds remembering our argument.

“Why are your grades slipping then?” I question differently. He ignored me, continuing to stare and eat his ice cream. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

His eyes darted to me, mid-way putting ice cream in his mouth. Caught him. “What do you mean?” He asks quietly.

“Why aren’t you and Derrick friends anymore for starters?” He stared at me shockingly for a moment before answering. I hope he didn’t play that stupid game with me when he pretends to not know what I’m talking about.

“How do you know Derrick and I aren’t friends anymore?” He asks a little shocked but sounding a bit angry as well. It’s not my fault that I could outsmart the kid.

“Well let’s start with Derrick not being over the house every single day this week. That kid practically lived at our house during vacations or vice versa. Your grades are slipping but I don’t know if they have anything to do with Derrick. You have that new quiet, kind of geeky looking friend Noah. Oh, and let’s not forget about the other day when you completely flipped out on me when I teased you. You never flipped out at me when I called you names. That was our long lived joke.” I paused to take a breather. I didn’t want to overwhelm the kid either and have him scream at me like he did the other day.